Improvement in sulky-plows



S. T. FERGUSON. Sulky-Plow.

- No. 200,038. Patented Feb. 5, 1878.

iii illIlIII- N. PETERS. PHOTO LITHOGRAFHER WASHINGTONv D c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SAM T. FERGUSON, MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA.

IMPROVEMENT IN S,ULKY-PLOWS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 200,038, dated February 5, 1878; application filed January 8, 1878.

To all whom it may concern;

Be it known that I, SAM T. FERGUSON, of

Minneapolis, in the county of Hennepin and side, showing the plow reversed upon the pivot .centers of the wheels into alignment; secondly,

in the particular construction and arrangement of two tubular sections for forming the crank-arms; thirdly, the pivotal arrangement of the plow and its supporting-frame whereby the plow may be turned upside down above the platform for transportation; fourthly, the combination, with the lever forlifting the plow, of an adjusting device located on said lever for regulating the depth of the plow, all as hereinafter more'fully described.

In the drawings, A represents the platform, 13 B the running wheels, and O O the two crank-arms, which, together, constitute the running gear of the plow. Both of these crank-arms, O O, are bent twice at right angles, and, for greater strength and lightness, each is made of a larger tubular portion, 1), and smaller tubular portion a, which latter parts, a, enter the ends of the larger tubular portions and project a sufficient distance to form bearings for and receive the wheels. The larger tubular portions of these two crankarms are secured beneath the platform by staples, straps, or other devices, so' that the one, 0, is rigid and fixed, while the other is secured in bearings beneath the platform, which permit it to turn axially. The larger ends of these crank-arms are extended past each other in parallel position beneath the platform, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3, and thus constitute a basic support for said platform, so that the latter is held upon said support stiffly and not liable to turn, as would be the case if it were simply supported upon a continuous crank-axle. Of these two crankarms the one, 0, upon the land-side of the plow, which is fixed, is made with a smaller crank or radius, while the other, 0, upon the opposite side, is made with a long crank or radius, and both, when in their normal positions,

are arranged with these cranked or radial portions inclined forwardly and upwardly. This forward inclination is designed to throw the platform to the front, for convenience in getting on and off, and to bring the plow forward to its best working position and close to the drivers seat, with no portion of the frame intervening between said seat and plow, so that he may clear the plow with his paddle as it needs it, while the upward inclination is designed to raise the platform to a sufficient height to accommodate the plow when lifted.

D is a hand-lever, terminating in a head which is rigidly connected upon the land-side of the plow with the projecting end of the tubular crank-arm O. This hand-leveris provided with an ordinary form of latch, 0, connected with a spring-seated bolt, d, which enters a series of notches formed in a segmental plate, e, affixed to the platform, so as to hold the lever to its adjustment. As this lever is moved, it will be seen that the crank-arm G is oscillated in its bearings, and the wheel attached to the same, which runs in the furrow upon the mold-board side of the plow, is raised or lowered to correspond to the depth of said furrow. In lowering the wheel for a deeper furrow it will be seen that the position of the crank causes the wheel to be moved forward, which gives a greater amount of room between the mold-board and wheel for the larger furrow-slice thrown over by the plow.

E is the plow, having a beam, F, which extends up under the platform. Said beam is fastened, by means of straps f, sleeve 9, and

7 set-screw h, to a pivot-rod, 6, working loosely in a metalframe, G. The side bars of this 7 7 frame arepivoted to the platform, and one of them, j, is bent to form' an elbow, s, which is connected, through the curved links 7a,:with the endof a hand-lever, H, pivoted to a support upon the platform on the right of the drivers seat, .so thatwhenthe lever is drawn.

7 hack and. depressed the links '70 exert a draft 7 uponthe elbow of the frame Gr, which rocks it 7 upon its pivot and lifts the plow V r V.

'When very heavy plows are to'be employed it is desirable to increase: the leverageinlifting the. same, and for this purpose the side bars of the frame G are perforated with ad justin -holes, and for heavy plows the pivot- V bar i is adj ustednearer the pivots of the frame, 7 thus increasing the leverage and lessening the throw of the frame. This adjustment is, how

ever, only desirable where heavyplows are fused for shallow furrows, as upon prairie- V V lands, where aless vertical movement: of the V V plow 1s necessary. V This pivotal connection of the plow tothc lifting-frameG, it will be seen, is immediately above the point of the plow,

frame, just above 7 the point, makes the connection to the frame less stiff and more flexible to the draft exerted upon its forward end,

7 I V andalso permits the plow'to be easily turned over into a reversed position. I

,To sustain the'plow in anelevated position, andat the same time'make the lever devices self-looking from the weight of the plow, the front ends of the links 70 are curved upwardly, so that when the lever is thrown entirely down, and the plow is in its elevated position, a straight line between the pivots m and n will be upon the opposite side of the lever-pivot from the links. To regulate the depth of the furrow more accurately and conveniently than may be done by the draft-clevis, a slotted gage-bar, I, is fastened to the lever H by a set-screw, o, and is provided with a foot, which, when the lever is moved forward, strikes against the platform, and defines said forward movement of the lever, and consequently the degree of downward adjustment of the plow, the slot and set-screw permitting the position of the gage-bar to be changed to regulate said adjustment.

In relation to the pivoted arrangement of the plow with the lifting-frame G, it will be i seen that this permits the plow to be turned entirely around and upside down above the platform, in which position the plow may be more easily transported without danger of striking obstructions, and in which position, also, the mold-board surface is protected from rust due to the fall of rain and dew; To

accommodate this position'of the plow, however, the dr ivers seat J (when placed c entrally above the platform, which position I prefer) is required to be slightly moved to one 7 i side, and for this purpose a slot, p, is formed in. one of the supporting-springs of the said seat, which allows the said spring to be moved i V i laterally from its fastening bolt or screw upon the bolt q as a center.

:V'In defining: more clearly my invention, I would state that independent:orank-armsof different radii, tubular. axles, and gage-bars V V i V for adjusting the depth of the plow, have been f heretofore used; and I therefore only 'clailn the particular construction and arrangement of these features shown and describeda-itowita' V the extension of the crank-arms, havin g differ ent lengths of crankor radius, past each other to forms. support'forthe platform; the bend ing of two tubular sections of different diame: eters,iand the insertion of .the onewithin' the other, with'the joint in the radial portion to form the 'orankrar n; and: the location of the V adjusting device onrthe lifting-lever, 'whieh' causes'it to regulate the depth of the plowby acting backwardthrough the lifting mechanism, thus securing an integral and flexible ad- I i Z V justment of the plow. 7

Having thus described my inventiomwhat I'claim as new is-'-" 1-.' The independent crank-arms G and O, V havingdifferent lengths of crank'or radius, combined with the runningwheels and the platform, and extended past each other in pan allel position, to form a stiff support'ior said platform, as described. 7 r

2. The crank-arms, made of bent tubular sections a and b, of different diameters, secured the one within the other, with the joint in the radial portion, substantially as de-, scribed.

3. The plow, pivoted to its supportingframe, as described, so as to swing over the platform in a reversed position, in combination with a laterally-adjustable seat, substantially as and for the purpose described.

4. The combination, with an adjustable lifting-frame, substantially as described, ofaplow, having its beam pivoted to said frame in the rear of its drafteconnection, so as to swing over the platform in a reversed position, as and for the purpose set forth.

5. The slotted and adjustable gage-bar I, located upon the lever H, and provided with a foot or stop, in combination with the platform, the lever, and the plow, for the purpose of adjusting the latter as to depth, as set forth.

SAM T. FERGUSON.

Witnesses:

Enw. W. BYRN, SoLoN O. KEMON. 

